police protest

After months of police protests and demonstrations, the police unions and the Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice finally reached a new collective bargaining agreement. Police employees will get between 6.5 and 6.7 percent increase in total over 2015, 2016 and 2017 and two windfalls of 500 euros, union ACP announced.

The police protests for a better collective bargaining agreement has cost the treasury at least 70 million euros in uncollected fines. For nearly eight months, police officers have only been writing fines for serious offenses. The decrease can clearly be seen in fines issued for "souped-up" mopeds and scooters, which is down 75 percent.

The police unions and the Ministry of Security and Justice have restarted negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for the police after a stalemate that lasted months. The unions have agreed to stop all labor actions during the negotiations.

The police unions are once again protesting for a better collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday. Many police stations across the country will be closed between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. During that time the officers will be watching footage of Prinsjesdag events to find out whether the government has put more money aside for their salaries, according to the unions.

The police contract conflict and strikes are expanding to other sectors. Teachers, customs officers, tax officials and public transport drivers, among others are considering eventual strikes over the wage agreements the government and unions made just before the summer holidays.

The police unions are planning more protest actions in the conflict between them and Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and justice for a better collective bargaining agreement for police officers. The unions will announce the exact actions later this afternoon, but it will involve protests around Prinsjesdag

The football match between PSV and AD Den Haag on Saturday will be cancelled should the police action planned for that day go through. The police unions announced last week that they are planning actions around eight of the nine matches during the first round the league.

The police unions are calling on police officers to only respond to urgent, life threatening calls on Monday in another effort to pressure Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice into a better collective bargaining agreement for the police.

The police unions have decided not to stop the media caravan during the Tour de France state on Sunday. Instead they will protest by cycling out in front of the media caravan. They will also hang banners off the Erasmus bridge.

The police unions are planning protest actions during the two Tour de France stages that are taking place in the Netherlands, news agency ANP reports. These actions form part of the police's 15 week long protests for better a collective bargaining agreement.

The police unions have threatened to use heavier means of pressure if the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, doesn't make extra money available for better a collective bargaining agreement. According to Gerrit van de Kamp, chairman of the police union ACP, one of those means may have consequences for clubbers.

Police unions are surrounding the Binnenhof on Thursday for hourly noise protests by police officers with sirens, horns and drums. With this the unions hope to put pressure on the cabinet and parliament to make more money available for a better collective bargaining agreement for the police

The police's non-emergency phone lines will be temporarily unavailable on Friday due to another action against the lack of a favorable collective bargaining offer from Minster Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice.

Police stations across the Netherlands will be closed for two hours on Thursday. This is another protest action organized by police unions against the lack of a favorable collective bargaining agreement.

The non-emergency phone lines of the police will be temporarily unavailable on Friday. The unions have called on all police officers to attend a work meeting in The Hague and the phone centers will therefore be unoccupied.